Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent days to demand that their government secure a deal that would release Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Nearly two-thirds of Israelis support such a deal — if not to put an end to the genocide, to at least put an end to the war for the sake of their own population. Why won’t their government listen?
U.S. politicians and officials often justify their continued diplomatic and financial support for Israel by claiming that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in July 2020 that the U.S. alliance with Israel is rooted in Israel’s role as “the anchor and foundation for democracy in the region … commitment to Israel’s security is not going away.”
Despite the overwhelming support of their government, many Americans can’t answer the question of whether Israel is a democracy or not. In a 2023 Brookings poll, more than half of the respondents said “I don’t know” when asked to describe whether Israel is a vibrant democracy, a flawed one, a state with restricted minority rights, or a segregated apartheid system. As it stands, U.S. taxpayers foot the bill for Israel’s nearly $4-billion-a-year defense contractor gift card, including many of the weapons being used in Gaza.
The distance between U.S. rhetoric around Israel’s supposed democracy and the actual actions of the Israeli state became clearer than ever on July 18, when the Israeli government passed a resolution rejecting any creation of a Palestinian state — a blow to decades-old U.S. policy and growing international consensus around the necessity for Palestinian self-determination. The resolution, which rejects the establishment of a state even as part of a negotiated settlement with Israel, said “the establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel would pose an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and destabilize the region.”
Days later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United States to address Congress and meet with President Joe Biden at the White House, in another repudiation by the Israeli government of U.S.-led efforts to secure a ceasefire deal.
Ceasefire talks have stalled within the Knesset, the Israeli legislative body, for almost three months since President Biden proposed a deal.
Ceasefire talks have stalled within the Knesset, the Israeli legislative body, for almost three months since President Biden proposed a deal, in large part due to the chokehold that far right ministers within the Israeli Parliament have on the coalition government. In order to understand the current moment, it is essential to understand how the Israeli Knesset works. The heart of the Israeli political system lies in the 120-member Knesset, which functions as both the Israeli legislative body and house of representatives. The Knesset also elects the president, a largely symbolic role as most of the executive power exists under the prime minister.
Knesset members are not elected directly by voters, as Israel has........